Mr. Griffin would like to plead the 2ndI've felt it since mid-season, but didn't want to mention it because I was afraid of jinxing Archie. Luke touched on it last week and now that we're staring down the final meaningful week of pre-bowl football, I'm comfortable saying Griffin's distinction of being the only two-time winner of the Heisman trophy looks to be safe.
Consider the circumstances heading into this season when, for the first time in history, two former winners were taking the field with a chance to bag a second. But injuries stole Bradford's season from him and pushed him to the NFL, while Tebow has stumbled a bit in Addazio's offense with numbers well below his output of the previous two seasons.
Gerhart, McCoy and, depending on how he shows Saturday, Ingram, appear to be your frontrunners right now. Ingram has had a solid year and Gerhart is the feel-good story of the moment, but my money is on McCoy, fresh off his 304/175 performance against the Aggies and a date with Nebraska to come. If you're counting, he'll be the 9th quarterback to win the award this decade.
Knock on wood.
The BCS and All That is Wrong With Humanity
The BCS has been a flurry of PR-musterin' activity lately. On the 17th, they promoted Bill Hancock to a newly created Executive Director position (irony alert: Hancock ran the NCAA men's basketball tournament for 13 years). Two days later, the BCS launched a Twitter account that was promptly slapped around the tubes and then topped it all by hiring the PR firm run by former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer. Regardless of party, a press secretary knows a thing or two about deflecting heat.
Wonder if all of this activity could have something to do with the six teams sporting unblemished records on the eve of December. The last time something like this happened was 1973 -- when Miami (OH), Notre Dame and Penn State all finished with perfect records and the Buckeyes, Wolverines and Sooners each carried a tie.
This is the BCSocalypse.
Florida and Alabama will meet Saturday, but the odds are more than good that the four other teams will close out their seasons with wins, leaving five teams for two slots. Typically, it's only one team getting screwed. This year, we have the potential for three times as many angry congressmen and three more disillusioned fanbases.
At what point do you stop telling unbeaten teams they can't play for the championship?
And, Finally
Had a chance to take another look at the AP photos from The Game over the long weekend and I just had to figure out a way to give this one a little bit of love. That's some fine work, Tony Ding!
Comments
GOOD NEWS!
ESPNU 150 defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd eliminates Penn State
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf...
I love how people are still lobbying for Tebow though. I thought Ingram or McCoy were locks, but after seeing Gerhart the other night, that is the man who deserves the award. No one carries their team like that guy. People want to talk about someone willing his team to victory, that guy was knocking over D-Linemen and Linebackers like they were band members on the field prematurely. The man is a beast and should get the award.
The BCS is a mess. I hope the success TCU and Utah have had do not cause the MWC to sell out. That conference and teams like Boise are the only way we'll get rid of a BCS system that makes no sense.
You stop telling them they can't play in the championship when their league improves. No way you can compare the WAC and Mountain West with any of the big 6. Yes, the Big11Ten, the ACC and the Big East are not the most impressive conferences this year, but if Boise had to play a schedule in any of those leagues they would have 3 losses. TCU is a little better so they may only have 1 or 2.
I think the BCS has been more than accomodating for them. Why don't they take the best 12 sports schools from those 2 and make one conference? If that were to happen, then add them to the BCS.
As for 1973, Miami RedSKINS beat Florida in the Tangerine Bowl (now the Citrus, I believe).
Adding them to the BCS doesn't fix the problem though. It's just including another conference in a messed up system. I also don't think the Big 10 is that bad of a conference. They 3 teams in the top 11 of the BCS. In that regard they are the best conference. They have 4 pretty good teams at the top and Northwestern isn't a bad 5th team.
This is the same guy who did a recruting interview with a buckeye hat on correct?
Wait a minute, TLB, your argument is that Boise and TCU deserve to be left out because they wouldn't go undefeated in the ACC, Big Ten or Big East... then what about the team that is currently (and likely to finish) undefeated in the Big East - why leave them out? Because they wouldn't go undefeated in the SEC or Big 12? At some point you have to stop telling teams what they wouldn't do and start letting them show what they can do.
I have to agree with you on the Gerhart McCoy placement also about the southern peoples. They are gonna try to give this to teabag still, it will be interesting to see how many southern votes leave Gerhart and McCoy off their ballots all together. the good thing is that teabag will finally be gone enjoy your career as a H-back getting chirped up by fools in the league for 3 years. I could go on about that self-rightous bible pounde, but he will be gone soon, farewell good bye douchebag!!!!!!!!!!! Back to the Gerhart thing as a Buckeye fan cant help but the about Beanie if he came back this year what could have been!!! but then again 8 and 9 man fronts Pryor probably gets the Brett Farve treatment either way good for us.
One other thing i noticed about the game against the scum not the game itself but the jerseys. I personally liked them as a one time thing just wish the red nike had was acutally scarlett. Anyways just an idea for next year i would like to see for the spring game two different uniforms and helmets (just for the spring game!!!!!!!!!) for the teams let nike go wild see what happens let the seniors and upper classmen pick them out and go with it. The spring game is nothing really just football hipe machine so nobody forgets about it…lol… I had a friend who went last year $5 cover to get in had a lacross game prior he said overall liked it football kinda drug along towards the end. Now for the rest of the idea, same thing put lacross on first $5 to get in then after the game have the university auction off the unis for charity (maybe the stephine spielman fund) and to benifit some of the lower university sports.
I whole heartedly agree Gerhart and McCoy deserve the Heisman. But since when does the most deserving player automatically rercieve the award? I can't believe the people that are totally ruling out Tebow. If he plays well in the SEC title game, he may actually be the front-runner in many peoples eyes. As for myself, I think team success means alot, and Texas wouldn't be undefeated if not for McCoy.
The BCS has gotten lucky for qutie some time. But now you have a potential 3rd BCS conference team that will be unbeaten (cincy). This is great, Im totally pulling for Cincy, Boise, and TCU to annihilate their opponents and for Texas, UF, and Bama to look bad.
Even if the MWC had the same BCS contract as the big six, they'd still be sitting out the national title game. That's why the system is broken.
I think TCU could beat FL, Alabama, Cinci, and Boise. The national title game should be TCU-Texas.
The only real solution is to have a playoff, where the winner of each of the big 8 conferences gets in, and you give ND the finger and make them join a conference.
I know CBS is lobbying hard for Tebow, but voters will need to look at one thing, HIS STATS. They just aren't there this year. He may be a finalist for the fact that he is Tebow and all his hype, but he hasn't put up a game close to what Mc Coy put up the other night. As for team success, I agree to an extent that it's important, but even that being said, with out Gerhart where would Stanford be? They may not be undefeated but they had a great season in a tough conference and he put up big numbers the whole time. If Stanford lost games, it wasn't because of him.
Not sure...
But, i can diff see him in columbus.
The kid is a beast...
Perhaps it's just me but I don't buy Gerhart. Is he impressive? Yes. But if I had to pick between the two it would be no issue -- McCoy.
Now, with all that said. The single best player I've seen in college football all season is Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska. It kills me, year in and year out that defensive players don't get more than a passing glance for the Heisman. If anyone has watched Nebraska this year they know what I'm talking about.
Without that defense the Huskers are an average team in the below-average Big 12 North. But that defense got them into the Big 12 championship game and Suh is the main force in that defensive front. I'm looking forward to the Big 12 championship game, not because of McCoy, but because I want see Suh torment Texas' line. He could end up with 10 tackles, a sack and fumble recovery and still no one would talk about him as Heisman candidate. It's a damn shame.
Couldn't agree more regarding Suh. Living in Missouri, I've seen a few of the Nebraska games. I think this guy is the real deal. Would love to see him in a Browns jersey next year.
My argument is that they would not be undefeated, therefore they would not be in the discussion. They would be behind tOSU, Penn St, and Iowa in the Big11Ten and behind Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech in the ACC and Cincy, Pitt, Rutgers, WVU in the Big East.....thus in no contention for a BCS game.
Suh should certainly be considered, but of all of the rightly or wrongly considered top candidates, Gerhart has had the best season of the bunch. McCoy has come on strong late, but he's also got a team of great athletes surrounding him and was slow early in the season. Gerhart has almost singlehandedly taken Stanford from bad to good in one season. Did you see how he willed his team to victory over ND? It was like a boxer delivering punishing blow after punishing blow in the final round. What he has done for their team is epic.
There was one run late in the game where he hit a line man head on and knocked the guy flat on his ass. The dude was unstoppable and oh by the way, threw a touchdown too.
I feel like Heisman has just become a big sideshow anyway. The only invite 3 finalists now, I mean how was Michael Crabtree not a finalist last year? He played in the toughest division of a conference in America last year, and had unbelievable numbers and just the catches he made were so athletic. He was a beast. I'm fear they'll take Tebow as a finalist with Mc Coy and Ingram and not even invite Gerhart.
I know the number of finalists invited can change each year, but the year Troy won, weren't their only 3 that year too?
Seth - I think Suh is very deserving of an invite to New York. I would love to see a D-lineman garner enough votes to be on that stage. With that said though, if I had a vote, Gerhart would get it. He is the heart and soul of that team. And if I'm not mistaken he is leading the country in rushing and set the PAC-10 TD record. Unfortunately it all may be a moot point as the trophy will probably go to McCoy's career. Even though he has come on strong, particulary this last week. For three years it has been Tebow, Bradford, and McCoy. The others have theirs, now McCoy gets his.
That really is the unfortunate thing about it. It shouldn't mean a damn thing what you did last year. Even if your stats are down from last year, if you are the best player in the league you deserve the trophy. Mc Coy, the way he's played the last few games it's hard to dipute, but Gerhart has had 6 strait 100 yard games. He is man handling teams, how can he get overlooked?
Cheeseburger "My defense is better than Ohio State's defense" Charlie got fired.
he aint lyin
I posted this in the Turner comments but since this is a football post I'll post it here too:
Lori Schmidt from 97.1 The Fan just reported that Luke Fickel is in contention for the head job at Akron. Um, crap.
And by 'Fickel' of course I meant Fickell.
Well I hope Fickell is gonna be a Fickell about it because I'd hate to lose a guy that supposedly has been the reason why the defense has been good. So if he's gonna be Fickell about it then he should be Fickell about staying at OSU and not Fickell about going somewhere else to coach. Fickle.
Gerhart should be the winner in a perfect world. The guy is 65%+ of his team's offensive production and he puts up those numbers when opposing defenses KNOW all Stanford does is run up the gut.
but... anyone but Teblow
I'll say it again, if Tebow puts on a show this Saturday, complete with fist pumping and getting in teammates faces, he will win the Heisman. Not sayin it's right, but still.
Well as long as we continue to make our assistant coaches among the lowest paid in their professions, this type of thing will continue to happen. I say we just fire Tressel, hire Kelly and get it over with, lol!
Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing!
but what about if Colt puts up numbers against Nebraska? If you ask me he's just got to show up and have an ok game with what he did Thursday already in the books. Timmy T-Bag doesn't have that kind of game this season.
Easier said than done. If you are a coach at Ohio St. then your name is not big. It's hard to argue though because since Tress has been here we have been to a BCS bowl every year except 2 years and he has an incredible record. I prefer fireworks on offense and not the conservative play calling and style but sometimes we just gotta swallow what we have. I do think though that with the current generation of the spread offense and aggressive offensive styles that our next coach will be someone to install a play to win strategy than a play scared strategy.
I agree with your playoff format 100%. Conference champs should battle it out.
Bobby Bowden has retired. He is my favorite non-Buckeye coach ever. Shame the way he was forced out.
I've always thought he was kind of a "money under the table" douche. but that's just me. takes one to know one right?
Free Shoes University
I just got to thinking....what the hell would have happened if Ohio State had gone undefeated this year? If Texas and Cincy take care of business this weekend, you'd have 4 teams from 4 BCS conferences that finished the season undefeated. Would Texas or Ohio State have gone to the BCS title game? I think the voters would put Texas in but Ohio State would have had the better resume.
Still...having 5 undefeated teams at season's end (Cincy, TCU, Boise State, Florida/Alabama and Texas) is a pretty big pickle. I personally think any of them could beat anyone in the country right now.
He is talking about Cincy dude.. reread his post.
If you people are going to worry about losing Fickell then lets worry about what area it would hurt the most... Recruiting.. he is a BIG TIME Recruiter..
We will be just fine with Heacock, he is the brains of our defense..
Cincinatti Bearcats- We don't play defense
I think a playoff where only conference champions go will do nothing to solve teams like TCU. You don't think the MWC is as good as the big east? They have more ranked teams. Utah beat the hell out of Bama last year. In addition, how many times have you seen a team like K-State pull an upset in a conference championship game, over a team that is clearler better. I don't mind an 8 team playoff or 10 or 12 for that matter, but use a BCS type system to figure out who those top teams are and let them battle it out.
Tebow would have to put up over 500 yards of total offense and account for 5 TD's to even be taken seriously. There's just no way I can see him winning the award this season. To me, it's even BS that he's going to be a finalist. His number just aren't there.
I have yet to hear one person that actually has a vote say their vote is going to Tebow. I've heard guys say Mc Coy or Gerhart won their vote, but not one have I heard say Tebow is getting the award.
Re: Heisman race. I hope that Archie's feat is safe, but I'm not so sure. It depends on how the Heisman voters fill out their ballots. It's supposed to be the most outstanding player in college football THIS YEAR. So, if they take it at its literal meaning, then Tebow should be eliminated.
However, if they view it as a career achievement award, he could still get it. And I'm afraid he will for this very reason. Hope the voters come to their senses. Gerhart definitely deserves an invite.
This was my other concern. The coach-in-waiting situation is primarily tied to his ability to bring in top-notch recruits. It would suck to see him leave.
Ohio State would have deserved going more than Texas. Even Iowa would have, if they would have won out.
Not sure the voters would have it that way.